Smart networks may be used to control electronic systems and devices within a home, business, or industrial environment. Examples of a smart network include a domestic lighting system which may be controlled by a smart system control device or a user's smart phone. A user may turn lights off when leaving a house without having to physically turn off each light switch. Alternatively, heating devices may be controlled remotely, with a user sending commands to the heating devices via a smart control device or smart phone or computer connected to the internet or within a Local Area Network (LAN).
In order to create such a smart network, each control device connected to the various elements within the network must include a unique identity or address in order that each element may be individually controlled. There are various ways in which each control device may be addressed, and the network configured as a result. One such method comprises of each control device being manufactured with an in-built unique identifier. When installing the control devices, an electrician/engineer may inspect each control device to obtain the unique identifier and program the smart network controller accordingly. However, such inspection and programming is time consuming and requires a certain level of skill to undertake accurately. It may also be difficult to reprogram a network if a control device fails and it is necessary to replace the failed control device. It may also be difficult to add additional control devices to a network once the network has been established, therefore adding an additional burden if, for example, it was necessary to add a new lighting device to a smart network.
An alternative method of creating a smart network may comprise a master control device detecting each individual control device to which it is connected, the master control device then randomly assigning unique identifiers to each individual control device. However, it may then be necessary for the installation engineer to program the network by matching each control device with a network element. For example, in a lighting system, each control device may need to be matched to the associated light unit. This may involve the master control sending a command to a first individual control device and the engineer being required to inspect the various network elements in order to see which element has reacted to the command. The command may, for example, result in a light unit being switched on. Such a method may take a significant time to configure a network, and there may also be problems with adding or replacing individual control devices as already mentioned above.
The present invention seeks to mitigate the abovementioned problems.